


The quiz

by cuivresdesax



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 19:51:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuivresdesax/pseuds/cuivresdesax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soccer fan Brian wants to share his passion with his friends and sets up a little game to make things more interesting. This is set in 2010.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The quiz

“All right, folks, that concludes my brilliant demonstration”.

A collective sight of relief came from the audience, namely Justin, Michael, Ted, Melanie, Lindsay, Emmett, Daphne, Drew, Ben and Hunter, who immediately rose and headed either to the kitchen or the restroom. Brian had been lecturing them in the living room for the last 2 hours, explaining all the subtleties and beauties of soccer, with the help of Gus. It had been very very thorough, and just as boring.

Justin had been fascinated by the speaker for the first 15 minutes, but only because both Brian and Gus were clad in soccer outfits, which of course included shorts, and Justin couldn't stop admiring his husband's toned and tanned legs.

A loud whistle blow stopped everybody on their tracks. They all turned to see Brian, taking a set of cards from Gus. “Now, we're going to check that you paid me all the attention my hard work deserved. Quiz time!”

This time, a collective groan came from the group, followed by many complaints.

“Brian, enough!” “we got it! They have to put the ball in the net thingy” “I've had dentist appointments that were more fun” “it's not even a real sport” (that last one from Drew, earning him a very dark look from both Brian and Gus).

However, Emmett, always the cheerful one, clapped his hands and asked merrily “A quiz! I love quizzes! What's the prize?”

Brian smirked. “the prize, Honeycutt, is an all paid travel to South Africa, including tickets to the semi-finals and the final of the World Cup. Now, Gus, my talented little soccer player, is in of course,”. At that, Gus looked at them smugly.

“What??” “AAAHHHH!!!!” “This is so great!!” “Don't call me Honeycutt” came from the excited group.

“Brian, how did you get the tickets? And that must cost a fortune!” asked Lindsay.

“Actually, one of Kinnetik's clients is a sponsor of the Cup, so we can get them at a very good bargain” precised Ted. “and of course, we would be flying Liberty Air at also a very good price”.

“I can have 10 more passes, so, theoretically, you can all go. However, only those of you who pass my quiz will be invited”, continued Brian.

“You mean...you're not bringing me? Your own husband??” gasped Justin.

“And me? Your best friend??” added Michael.

“Sunshine, Mikey, men would kill to see those games, deserving and passionate men, I'm not wasting any ticket on someone who's not truly interested in soccer. So you'll have to earn it, like everybody else in this room”.

“What??” squeaked an outraged Justin. “you know what? Scr...uh” after a glance to Gus, “forget it. Keep your stupid tickets and go with your more deserving men. I'm not playing”.

“Me neither” added Michael, just as much pissed.

“Suit yourselves. Did I mention the seats are on the VIP area? And that a safari is included in the stay? Not to mention the 5 stars resort in which we would be staying”.

“Come on Michael, let's play, it's gonna be fun” added Ben, always the good sport.

“But...no, this is awful! What if you win and I don't? You'll go without me?”

“Well, Brian is our friend, so I can't imagine him setting us up. He said there was enough tickets for all of us so I'm sure the questions won't be tricky, and that we all have a fair chance. Right Brian?” argued reasonably Ben.

“Of course, Professor. Anyone that paid attention earlier is sure to get his ticket” answered Brian with a dark look.

Except Ben, they all looked at each other sheepishly. They had been a captive audience but certainly not a captivated one. Each of them had been called for attention more than once during Brian's lesson.

“You could have told us before your lecture that there was a stake, you know” said glumly Daphne, who had been caught … twice...playing silently rock paper scissors with Justin and Emmett.

“What would the fun be in that” answered a very satisfied Brian. “So, Sunshine, you're in?”

Justin glared at him and sat back on the couch without a word. Between his daydreaming on Brian's body, playing with Daphne and Emmett, wondering how to improve the living room decor, exchanging text messages with Daphne (until both their phones were confiscated) and if there was enough pizza and beer for everyone, he hadn't listened to a word of Brian's speech.

“All right, let the quiz begin. The rules are simple. Anyone that gets 3 good answers is selected. To ensure that no cheating will go on, you will hand your phones to Gus. We already have Daphne's and Justin's” he added with a pointed look to them. “And to avoid arguments, I'm going to tape you, in case there are ties in giving the right answer, we will replay. Gus will be counting the points on the board”, he added, setting up a chalk board on which their names had already been written.

Gus went among them to collect their phones. After Hunter handed him his, Gus didn't move and held up his hand still.

“What? I just gave it to you!”

“That's the lousy phone your folks got you. I want your other phone, the cool one.”

“What?” said in unisson Ben and Michael. “It's not lousy! It's an iphone” added a very indignant Michael.

Hunter gave a dirty look to a stern Gus. “Remember, payback's a bitch, pal”. He got a brand new iphone out of his back pocket and handed it to Gus. “Careful with it.” He turned to this fathers. “Look guys, the one you gave me is great, I love it, but well you got it second hand and it's like, 2 years old. I got myself the new one, no need to freak out'.

“All right, people, listen carefully, first question. As you all noticed, Gus is wearing a beautiful white and blue shirt, that represents a country. Which one?”

“Argentina” immediately answered Ben.

“How the fuck did you do that? You know shit about soccer.” asked Hunter

“I know my flags, and language, please”.

“2nd question. Argentina is the homeland of one of the most famous players in the world. I want his full name”.

“Lionel Messi” answered Drew.

“That's my baby” cheered Emmett, “but how did you know that? You always said soccer is a sissy game”.

Drew looked apologetically to Brian and Gus “Well, not really a sissy game, but come on, this guy Messi, he wouldn't last 1 minute on a football field, he's such a midget. I met him at the Superbowl last year, he was introduced to all the players after the game, he's like 5,6 ft”.

“3rd question: how long does a soccer game last?”

Everybody started shouting random answers, when a voice was heard screaming “90 minutes!”

“Correct! And one point for Lindsay!”

The game went on. To everyone's surprise, Lindsay was the first to get 3 good answers, and always on technical questions on the game rules.

She looked at them innocently. “What? I take my son to soccer practice every week, not counting the competitions. Of course I know the rules. South Africa, here I come!”

Ben and Drew were the next selected, Ben thanks to his general knowledge and Drew who, even if he had a real contempt for soccer, had watched some games and knew the basic rules and the most famous players.

Emmett was then selected. Though he knew absolutely nothing about the game (and cared even less), his studious reading of every people magazine and website gave him extended knowledge to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham or Wayne Rooney.

The biggest surprise of the afternoon was when Michael answered correctly his 3rd question:

However, both Melanie and Daphne had spotted Ben mouthing some words to Michael and were convinced that the pair had cheated, which they denied vehemently. The recording was used and although it was clear that Michael was looking at Ben before answering, Ben's face was not on the film.

There was a much heated debate, until Brian started a lecture on the fact that since video was not used in soccer and many victories would not have happened if it had, as long as the referee (Gus) hadn't seen anything, the point was good. He went on to give numerous examples, with a long development on Maradona's “hand of god” during a final World Cup game, followed by an even longer explanation on how France had been qualified for the South Africa World Cup. At that point, everybody grunted and told him to give Michael the point and just go on with the damn game. Well everyone except Melanie who was furious.

“Why the f...hell are you recording us for then? You just want your little best friend to be on the trip, you know damn well he cheated, there's no way he could have answered that!”

Gus took out a yellow card. “Mom, one warning, better be careful”.

“Yes Mel, better be careful, another yellow card and you're out of the game” added Brian.

“What? You can't make up rules during the game! That's cheating! And Gus, how can you give a yellow card to your own mother?” argued Melanie.

“My game, my rules” answered coldly Brian. “And if you knew anything about soccer, you would be much aware of the yellow and red cards rules. Threatening the referee does not sound good, what do you think Gus?”.

“It's okay, dad, I'll let it go this time, she didn't know the rules” said Gus magnanimously, but with a clear emphasis on “this time”.

Michael grinned smugly and joined Ben on the winners bench, aka the chairs pulled behind Brian.

That left Justin (1 point), Melanie (2 points), Daphne (0 point), Hunter (0 point) and Ted (1 point).

“That's not fair”, pouted Hunter, “Mel's a soccer mom just like Lindsay”.

“oh suck it up you big crybaby” snapped Melanie.

“Hey! Yellow card here!” shouted Hunter.

“Why? You are a big crybaby” answered Brian.

Daphne then made a brilliant comeback and score her 3 points. Jumping and yelling, she joined the winners.

Then Justin scored, followed by Melanie who made a pretty little dance in front of the last 3 competitors.

It went on for another 10 minutes, because Justin, Hunter and Ted knew absolutely nothing. Finally, Brian only had 10 questions left, and the 3 men each had 2 points.

“All right, lads, let's concentrate here”, said dramatically Brian. “The 1930 World Cup took place in Uruguay. What is the capital of this country?”

“Montevideo!!” yelled Justin, sweating and red-faced.

“Correct!”

“How the fuck did you know that?” asked a very disgusted Hunter.

“Lucky guess” he answered.

“A lucky guess?? Montevideo is a lucky guess??”

“I must have remembered it from high school, you should have paid better attention” answered smugly Justin.

Then, Ted made one good answer. Hunter was the last one in the game, with only 3 questions left. He got the right answer on the second one and everybody pretended not to notice Ben mouthing the answer pretty loudly.

Later, after everyone had left, Justin and Brian laid together in bed. Brian leaned in to kiss Justin who pushed him away.

“I'm still mad at you, you know. You were ready to go on a dream vacation with all your friends but without me.”

Brian sighed. “Well, it didn't happen, did it? I had total faith in you and I was right”.

“Right, my ass. I just got lucky. And you let Michael get away with cheating! He would have gone but not me?? A 15 days stay in South Africa? I'm so pissed at you, Brian!”

“I told you I had faith in you and there was no luck needed”.

“Of course there was! You really think I knew that Brazil won the world cup 6 times?”

Brian chuckled.

“What's so funny?”

“Brazil won 5 times”.

Justin was speechless. “No way” he finally whispered.

“You didn't get a single good answer. Well, except Montevideo. And I wrote that question specifically for you. You think I don't remember that it was one of the stopovers on “the amazing race” episode that you watched only yesterday?”

“Brian, you cheated!” said Justin with a huge grin. “What if they find out?”

“Like I said before, my game, my rules. So, can we play another game now?”


End file.
